Susan Swift a pro life and defender of the constitution an attorney and a mom and a wife joins Pastor Greg for a full hour discussion on the SCOTUS Thursday decision on NY Rifle Association which affirms the right to keep and bear arms and the right to carry Also discussed is the definition of Pro Life versus Baby Killing and the sacrifice of the innocent [... more]

The outcome of North Carolina's U S Senate race could help determine which party controls the chamber for the next two years Incumbent Republican Sen Thom Tillis faces a tough challenge from Democrat Cal Cunningham Carolina Journal Editor-in-Chief Rick Henderson analyzes recent developments in the hotly contested race It's safe to say N C colleges and universities did not reopen in the fall in the way they had expected Some campuses welcomed students back only to send them home again for online learning within a matter of weeks Jenna Robinson president of the James G Martin Center for Academic Renewal [... more]

Legislators recently loosened restrictions on North Carolina's targeted tax incentive program allowing companies to claim as much as for every job created in connection with a Job Development Investment Grant That's a percent increase from the old cap of per job The change passed without much opposition in the General Assembly But Jon Sanders John Locke Foundation director of regulatory studies explains why an increased reliance on targeted tax incentives means bad news for state taxpayers Progressives argue that their policies are designed to help disadvantaged groups including minorities and the poor But Michael Jacobs professor at UNC-Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler [... more]

This week on Family Policy Matters NC Family President John L Rustin interviews Mitch Kokai a senior political analyst at the John Locke Foundation one of North Carolina's preeminent conservative research organizations and public policy think tanks Mitch talks about four new amendments to North Carolina's constitution [... more]

Voters have broken veto-proof Republican supermajorities in the N C General Assembly The November election results ensure a more powerful role for both the Democratic minority and Gov Roy Cooper Becki Gray John Locke Foundation senior vice president analyzes the election's significance The United States and other Western nations are choosing to reject the economic Miracle that has generated most of the world's prosperity That's the assessment of Jonah Goldberg The American Enterprise Institute Scholar and National Review senior editor explains his assessment in the recent book Suicide of the West He discussed key themes from the book during a [... more]

N C lawmakers have approved an additional million for relief from damage inflicted by Hurricane Florence That total exceeded the amount Gov Roy Cooper requested and the relief package earned unanimous support within the General Assembly Becki Gray John Locke Foundation senior vice president analyzes key aspects of the relief package Governments tend to like imposing sin taxes on items like alcohol and tobacco But a new book titled For Your Own Good explores the potential negative consequences of sin taxes and other selective taxes that target disfavored groups Co-editor Todd Nesbit assistant professor of economics at Ball State University [... more]

Higher education watchdogs have seen good news in recent years when it comes to free-speech protections on N C college campuses Jenna Robinson president of the James G Martin Center for Academic Renewal discusses a new report that grades the campuses based on their policies promoting or limiting speech It's no secret that American politics has become increasingly polarized Duke University ethics professor Walter Sinnott-Armstrong believes more argument could help fight that polarization Sinnott-Armstrong explained his theory during a recent speech in Raleigh You'll hear highlights from his remarks Before Hurricane Florence stormed through North Carolina state lawmakers already were [... more]

With legal battles over congressional redistricting and state constitutional amendments resolved for now North Carolina's election ballot is now set for November Rick Henderson Carolina Journal editor-in-chief discusses the key issues voters will be addressing in this so-called blue moon election with no presidential gubernatorial or U S Senate race Critics of school voucher programs often point to history They say vouchers arose from segregationists' efforts to fight school integration Phillip Magness senior research fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research says the actual history is much more complicated Magness explains that the earliest supporters of school vouchers often [... more]

Political prognosticators often look at independent unaffiliated voters for clues about the likely outcomes of upcoming elections The Civitas Institute recently polled unaffiliated N C voters Rick Henderson Carolina Journal editor-in-chief analyzes the poll's findings He discusses how the numbers could affect key elections and the fate of proposed constitutional amendments A Winston-Salem surgeon is challenging state certificate-of-need restrictions that block him from buying an MRI machine Dr Gajendra Singh says the machine would help him provide MRI services for patients at a lower price than they would pay at a nearby hospital You'll hear highlights from a recent news [... more]

Headlines in recent months have focused on accusations of Russian collusion At least one aspect of the collusion debate deserves more scrutiny In a recent column for TheHill com John Locke Foundation Senior Fellow Donald van der Vaart recommended that the Trump administration look into possible collusion between the Russian government and American environmental activist groups Van der Vaart explains why an investigation makes sense Small business leaders today often point to government regulation as one of the largest obstacles blocking their growth and success But that attitude about government is a relatively new development in the history of American [... more]

Parents homeschool more than students in North Carolina Nearly more students attend private schools in the state Terry Stoops John Locke Foundation vice president for research and director of education studies analyzes recent growth in both of those numbers Stoops assesses the significance for education policy in the state Private-sector innovation has driven massive positive changes in the American energy industry Recent tax and regulatory reforms should lead to even more growth in the nation's energy sector Dan Brouillette deputy U S energy secretary delivered that message recently during a speech in Raleigh for the Jesse Helms Center Brouilette explains [... more]

Telemedicine can play an important role in the future of North Carolina health care But that doesn't mean the state needs a law forcing insurers to pay health care providers the same amount of money for services provided through technology as they would for in-person visits Katherine Restrepo the John Locke Foundation's director of health care policy explains why North Carolina should not follow the lead of other states that have adopted so-called telemedicine parity laws Speaking of government restrictions on health care North Carolina's certificate-of-need law continues to stifle innovation and reduce options for patients Dr Jay Singleton a [... more]

The N C General Assembly returns to work Oct In addition to gubernatorial vetoes and unresolved bills from this year's regular long session legislators could address proposed constitutional amendments and a plan to redraw judicial election maps Becki Gray John Locke Foundation senior vice president analyzes legislators' priorities as they prepare to head back to the capital city Many people believe science should guide public policy That idea sounds good but the science used to make public policy decisions can be shoddy John Staddon Duke University professor emeritus is writing a book about the scientific method He says much of [... more]

Gov Roy Cooper wants the N C Supreme Court to declare part of the new state budget unconstitutional In a recent court filing the governor expanded his Cooper v Berger lawsuit It now includes a challenge to budget provisions targeting Opportunity Scholarship school vouchers roughly billion in block grant funding and the use of million secured from a legal settlement Carolina Journal Editor-in-Chief Rick Henderson analyzes Cooper's argument The N C Commission on the Administration of Law and Justice presented a report this year designed to address long-term changes that would improve the state's court system State Supreme Court Chief [... more]

North Carolina lawmakers approved a billion General Fund budget plan overriding Gov Roy Cooper's veto with more than two days to spare before the start of the new budget year Becki Gray John Locke Foundation senior vice president shares highlights from the spending plan Gray also explains how the latest budget fits with Republican legislative leaders' long-term strategy of limiting government spending growth and lowering tax burdens Civil asset forfeiture allows law enforcement agencies to take property from people suspected of illegal activity even if they never face criminal charges The process is open to abuse Darpana Sheth senior attorney [... more]